Max by George Anderson

Max
by George Anderson


‘Cats do not show the same plasticity of form as the dog’
The New World Encyclopaedia


White sagging scrotum
noxious litter box
stretchy blue choke line
his digital photo on the fridge
framed by captioned magnets:
INTENSE
CURIOUS
BOLD
CUNNING

In the deep grass-
he leaps free of his harness.
Alert, he crouches by the barn door
reliving once again how he savaged that mouse
seven years ago
before it skittled under the barn.
Burying his eyes into that spot
he waits
for another
poised to pounce
the carnivorous flick of images:
snarl snarl
meooowwwww
(play play)
squeak squeak
shuffle
dance
CRUNCH!

His shoulders slumping
as her voice booms out:
‘MAX GET YOUR COLLAR ON!
YOU’RE GROUNDED!’